Introducing "Cesaria Feels the Beat"! Meet Cesaria, a character inspired by the incredible Cesaria Evora, the "Barefoot Diva" from my mother's beautiful homeland of Cape Verde!
Just like the legendary singer, Cesaria prefers going shoeless, but with her unique twist! Like the Barefoot Diva, my character feels the rhythm of #Carnival better when her feet are free!
Through "Cesaria Feels the Beat," I've honored my late mom's favorite singer by weaving Cesaria Evora's spirit into my main character's love for music, carnival, and the sensation of rhythm without shoes. It's a heartfelt tribute to the Barefoot Diva, #carnival, and the love for individuality in every beat.
Join Cesaria in her musical journey and experience the magic of dancing to your own rhythm! Pre-order your copy today, and let's #samba together! #CesariaFeelsTheBeat #BarefootDivaInspiration #RhythmAndShoes #carnival
Thank you for celebrating the joy of music, bare feet, and embracing your unique beat with me! Let's keep #dancing to our own drum! @myluckears@macmillanusa@mackidsbooks@emilyfeinberg@reginalbrooks@serendipitylit #capeverde #Brazil #RepresentationMatters #childrensbook
Big news! Cesaria Feels the Beat is a Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year AND a School Library Journal Best Picture Book of the Year!
So grateful to see Cesaria's story of rhythm, inclusion, and culture recognized!
#BestPictureBooks @sljournal@kirkus_reviews #KirkusStar
Looking for a fun and educational way to bring "Cesaria Feels the Beat" to life in your classroom or library? In this video, I’m showing you how to set up an engaging Carnival mask-making activity that pairs perfectly with the book!
Not only do kids get to explore the vibrant culture of Carnival, but they’ll also develop important skills like hand-eye coordination, creativity, problem-solving, and communication. Plus, I’ll encourage through teaching some basic #signlanguage to help build empathy and inclusion, just like Cesaria does in the story.
This activity is perfect for Latin American Heritage Month, Deaf Awareness Month, or any time you want to celebrate culture, diversity, and creativity with your students!
Check out the video to see how easy it is to get started—and let me know how it goes when you try it out!
#CesariaFeelsTheBeat #CarnivalCulture #ChildrensBooks #InclusiveEducation #LatinAmericanHeritageMonth #DeafAwarenessMonth #CreativeLearning #CarnivalMasks #StorytimeFun #EmpathyAndInclusion #preschoolactivities #librarians #teachers #education #bookstagram #picturebooks #childrensbooks #childrensillustrations
Last week was Children’s Book Week.
I wish more of the week had been spent celebrating the people who dedicate their lives to putting stories into children’s hands.
So instead, I want to celebrate some ambassadors.
Not ambassadors because of a title.
Ambassadors because of how they show up.
The librarians protecting access.
The teachers reading aloud after long days.
The booksellers championing stories.
The booksellers championing stories.
The writers and illustrators visiting schools, signing books, leading workshops, answering children’s questions, and continuing to create even when the industry feels exhausting.
During COVID, I worked with a group of writers and illustrators to hold 94 workshops about craft and publishing One thing I learned was that illustrators children’s book creators are some of the most hopeful, sensitive, resilient people I’ve ever met.
These photos remind me what children’s literature actually looks like.
It looks like community.
It looks like representation.
It looks like joy.
It looks like children seeing themselves in stories.
It looks like people showing up for one another again and again.
Children’s books matter.
The people creating them matter too.
Thank you to everyone who continues to serve as an ambassador for stories, with or without the title.
What does being an ambassador for stories look like to you?
#childrenbooksmatter #librarians #childrensbooks #picturebook
Today my worlds collided in the most beautiful way.
A father emailed to thank us for a wonderful visit to the Bronx Children’s Museum and shared how much his daughter loved exploring the space.
Then he realized the book she had been reading at home from our Book Bodega was written by me too.
There is something incredibly special about creating spaces children can step into and stories they can carry home with them.
My heart is exploding today.
#InterActivity2026 filled my cup.
One question kept coming back to me:
Who is not in the room yet?
I found myself sitting with that question during conversations with children’s museum leaders from across the country. And then I realized, it’s the same question I carry when I write.
Who is not on the page yet?
Whose story is still waiting?
As a museum leader and a writer, that question lives with me.
I carry the Bronx into every room. Every page.
Curious what this brings up for you.
Who are you holding in your work right now.
Honored to welcome Mayor Mamdani to the Bronx Children’s Museum for a powerful conversation about families, children, and the future of our communities.
This is what it looks like to create space for the Bronx.
Big News: We’re on National TV Tonight! 📺
We are thrilled to announce that yesterday, BxCM hosted the recording of the MS NOW Special, “All In America: Mayor Mamdani,” hosted by Chris Hayes. It was an honor to welcome @nycmayor Mamdani to the Museum for the first time as he discussed his first 100 days in office.
We are deeply grateful to @chrislhayes@allinwithchris and @msnownews team for choosing our space. This spotlight celebrates not only our organization but the entire Bronx community and the importance of spaces dedicated to our children.
Tune in to MS NOW tonight—Friday, April 24:
8:00 p.m. ET and 11:00 p.m. ET
Let’s celebrate this moment together! #BronxChildrensMuseum #MSNOW #AllInAmerica
Congratulations to our Exec. Dir. Denise Rosario Adusei ( @deniselit4kids ) for being recognized in the 2026 Bronx Power 100! ✨
Under her leadership, the Museum recently became a member of NYC’s prestigious Cultural Institutions Group, the first Bronx organization to achieve this in nearly 50 years.
From securing the Museum’s financial future to distributing thousands of books to local families, Denise is ensuring that every child in the Bronx sees themselves reflected in art and literature.
Please join us in celebrating her well-deserved spot at #88!
#BronxPower100 #BronxChildrensMuseum #CityAndStateNY #CommunityLeaders #RepresentationMatters #TheBronx #LeadershipSpotlight
Women’s History Month at the Bronx Children’s Museum
On Saturday we celebrated Victoria Hernández, the first woman to open a music store in New York City. Through Casa Hernández and Casa Amadeo, she helped bring salsa, merengue, and Latin American music into homes across the Bronx and beyond.
To honor her legacy, Yvette Martínez taught children and families how to dance to those rhythms.
The museum was full of movement, laughter, and music.
And at the end of the day… Yvette gave me a private salsa lesson.
She immediately spotted something I didn’t even realize I was doing. I kept adding an extra step to the salsa rhythm. Years of growing up dancing samba had quietly followed me onto the dance floor.
Yvette helped me fix it.
Still learning. Still dancing. Still celebrating the culture that makes the Bronx move.
#WomensHistoryMonth
#familytime
#Salsa
#NYC
#childrensmuseum
I had the privilege of judging DreamYard’s Youth Poetry Slam, and I am still thinking about those young poets.
They were fearless. Thoughtful. Honest. Joyful.
Some held the microphone with steady hands and strong voices. Others trembled and pushed through anyway. Every single one of them showed courage.
When young people are given space to speak, they rise. When they are listened to, they grow.
I am grateful to witness it and celebrate it.
Congratulations to all the poets and the winning teams. Keep writing. Keep speaking. Keep shining.
#raisingartists #poetry #poetry
Carnival season has begun.
From Brazil to Trinidad.
From Cape Verde to New Orleans.
Across oceans and generations.
We celebrated with storytime and mask-making.
Children and parents sat side by side.
Feathers. Glitter. Laughter.
“É tempo de Carnaval.”
In the heart of Black History Month, it feels especially meaningful to celebrate the joy, music, and creativity that connect us across the African diaspora.
Carnival is rhythm.
Carnival is memory.
Carnival is freedom in motion.
And this week, our families stepped right into it.
#Carnival #MardiGras #BlackHistoryMonth #AfricanDiaspora #Brazil CapeVerde Trinidad FamilyJoy
